The first of FIVE episodes leading you up to Mother’s Day! This episode shares the dark history of the woman behind Mother’s Day in the USA. Established by US President Woodrow Wilson at the insistent urging of Ann Jarvis, Mother’s Day had it’s roots in a pre-civil war era female activist organization which hosted events to support safety measures within the workplace and to reduce contamination of milk.

During the war, these women tended to the soldiers of both armies and protested on behalf of peace, offering the opinion that if women were in charge, there would be no war.

Ann Jarvis’ daughter, Anna Jarvis took up the cause for an official Mother’s Day in memory of her special mother, minus the political activism.

Although successful, she spent her life and sizeable inheritance in fighting the commercialism of the holiday, even taking Eleanor Roosevelt to task for using Mother’s Day to raise funds for her numerous charitable efforts. I hope you enjoy this history lesson as much as I did. Now go buy something for your mother!

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